Drinking Temperature For White Wines

[Colt45]

I posted this over at Spitbucket, but thought I might ask here as well.......

Ken brought up drinking temp some time back, but I've been wondering what members think about temp for white wines. I'll chill a light pinot grigio or similar for summer sipping, but generally speaking, I drink my whites as I do my reds - at "cellar temp".

I've been doing this for some time, but recently again tried a little experiment. First, I guess I should mention that I feel an overly chilled "good" white has it's complexity and positive characters masked, while allowing for what I consider lesser characteristics to be enhanced.

So very generally, I often find things like the fruit and mouthfeel character diminished, while oak, volatile acidity, etc, are enhanced. So my recent experiment - a bottle of Languedoc white which was composed of Rhone varietals - roussanne, marsanne, grenache blanc, and a semillion based white Bordeaux. I started with a glass at cellar temp, then chilled each.

My above observations held true for both. Sipping an Irpinian Coda di Volpe at cellar temp tells me the same would be true for it had I chilled it down. For me a wonderful wine which would I'm certain would lose it's character if refrigerated.

Love to hear any thoughts.

[Natedog]

You are absolutely correct but I still enjoy (especially in the warmer months) a very chilled white and I enjoy its transformation as it warms up in the decanter or glass.

[Wil]

I refrigerate whites as I mostly drink them in summer. Agree that most whites don't express their full character when cold, but after 5 to 10 minutes in the glass they start to open up.

[stargazer14]

You are absolutely correct but I still enjoy (especially in the warmer months) a very chilled white and I enjoy its transformation as it warms up in the decanter or glass.

x2